Read this passage below, taken from a German Kiteboarding magazine.

Vegas 06

The new Vegas 06 is North’s answer to the bow kite hype. Just like F-One, North also rejects the bow type concept and instead developed a high-depower kite with a conventional C-shape that is used with a common five line bar and whose depower ability is on par with that of the leading bow kites. The advantage over bow kites lie in the familiar direct response and extra safety through the fifth line. Will this concept be successful and where are the differences between high-depower C-kites and bow kites?

Conclusion

North Kiteboarding has decided to follow the trend towards more depower in conventional C-kites and renounces on a pure bow kite. The new Vegas proves that this can be a successful strategy. Just like the similarly designed F-One Tribal, the new Vegas shows that extreme depower ability does not necessarily require a much flatter profile. Therefore, the Vegas is also at home in high wind conditions, even though it cannot be completely depowered in critical situations. It still remains to be discussed, however, whether the fifth line is not a superior safety feature in such cases anyway. The Vegas is light on the bar and responds directly, just like a conventional C-kite. Holding forces are also comfortably low. Just as in the F-One, the rider can only take full advantage of the kite’s wind range if the adjuster is used correctly. In our test, the fifth line sometimes slipped into the cleat of the adjuster, interfering with proper function. Apart from this little negative detail the bar is well crafted, uncomplicated and supplied ready to fly.
The North Vegas combines the familiar bar feeling of a C-kite with maximum depower and still reaches top test results in all aspects of performance.

North Vegas 12.0

+ wind range
+ point of pressure easy to locate
+ direct bar feeling
+ safety through 5. line

- must be readjusted for full wind range


Overall Conclusion High-Depower C-Kites

The substantial advantages of high-depower kites will make them the first choice for the majority of riders in 2006,regardless of individual preferences for bow designs or C-kites. The example of Cabrinha shows that we can expect ever shorter model cycles. Only four months after the Crossbow made its debut as the first the bow kite, the Switchblade already appeared on the market as a second model.


The depower ability is convincing – but what do the individual models have to offer, and are there any remaining risks?

With regards to performance, all of the bow kites can easily bear comparison with C-kites. And the remarkable thing is that in most models the inherent performance potential is easy to tap. Particularly the Switchblade shows convincing performance that hardly anyone would have expected at the beginning of the bow kite era. Whether it’s new school, wave or cruising – everything is possible and everything is absolutely easy. The same is true for other competitors, such as Airush, GK kites and Slingshot. If you allow a few days to get used to the new characteristics you can learn any trick, including new school moves. And the giant range of application comes as a free bonus. Therefore, we will also see several riders competing on bow kites in the World Cup of 2006.

With regards to holding forces there are big differences between the various models. Those kites with pulley systems (Halo, Crossbow, Switchblade, ShockWave, TurboDiesel) all have higher holding forces and require a little more time to get used to, due to their delayed response. Nova and Sonic instead have clearly lower holding forces. These kites also require some practice and a sensitive hand on the bar but in return they allow effortless kiting for hours on end. Naish took another way with its ShockWave – its holding forces are a little higher (and comparable to those of the Crossbow) but it had the most precise steering and most direct bar feeling of all bow kites we tested. With these ideal characteristics the ShockWave is fun to ride and scores first place in the wave, and for many riders not only there.

The two C-kites we tested, North’s Vegas and F-One’s Tribal, cover a wind range almost as big as that of the bow kites while offering the familiar direct bar feeling of conventional kites. Readjusting the adjuster is necessary to take advantage of the entire wind range. In the case of bow kites, the adjuster is used mainly to put the bar in a comfortable position according to the rider’s preferences.

A major drawback of bow kites is the possibility of inverting. This is an inherent danger of all bow kites, especially if the front tubes are inflated to the maximum. If the kite inverts, the safety system is no longer effective when the bar is released. This nullifies the safety benefits of bow kites and forces the rider to completely release the kite. Since many bow kites come without a safety leash, this is far from being a good solution. Kites with a flatter canopy (Halo, Crossbow, Sonic, TurboDiesel) tend to invert more easily. The Switchblade, ShockWave and Nova are more stable since the profile is more curved and/or the struts provide a firmer structure.
The C-kites Vegas and Tribal instead offer a conventional fifth-line safety system that guarantees almost 100% depower. As in all such systems, however, there is a chance that the kite may get caught and damaged by the fifth line.

To increase the kite’s depower ability is definitely a step in the right direction. High-depower kites will increasingly influence the kiting scene. Convincing advantages include the bow kite’s safety feature of releasing the bar and the increased range of application in gusty areas, which will be particularly appreciated by inland kiters.

The choice between a bow kite and high-depower C-kite will remain a matter of personal taste. Whereas the smaller sizes of bow kites offer superior depower abilities, the large size C-kites score with direct response and often reduced holding forces.

azza you're spot on there mate, grammer is not a strong point of KBM.

And the chicks they feature are too damn skinny... ( HINT )

ive heard a few ppl mention sonics inverting...

nice one JB - your post is the most informative one I have seen in a long while...

Good article, correct about the Shockwave too. I am sure it sits a good 5 to 10 degrees back further in the window which is why it has those characteristics, but they have to lose that bar, RSI city!!!

Enjoying my bow but I gotta say the Tribal 13 has its hooks in a little. Could be the small bar that makes them feel like an old wippy inferno on steroids, or it could be that learning and riding on C's for so long means my brain is too hardwired to leave the Cs behind so easily. Doing a few sessions on a good C after a season off them really felt sweeter than I thought it would have.

I've had my Sonics 11&14 for three months now and had invert happen a couple of times, because pulling the bar when they fall back through lack of wind will make them luff. Remedy is when they sink back push bar up so angle of attack will make the kite fly foward, no probs.
Even if it does invert relaunch with lines twisted get back to the beach and sort out da lines.Easy. I've seen other bows invert and refuse to relaunch.
So endeth the lesson. Cheers